The Manuscript Painting Tradition (Western Indian School)

Manuscript paintings are graphic translations of poetic lyrics from epics and different canonical, literary, bardic, or music sources (manuscripts), with verses scrawled on the highest area of the artwork in clearly delimited box–like space.

The third Khanda of the Vishnudharmottara Purana, a fifth-century work, contains the Chitrasutra chapter, which is regarded as a source book of Indian art in general and painting in particular.

To talk about the western Indian school, simple, brilliant colours, highly conventionalized shapes, and sharp, angular sketching define the school. Naturalism, as shown in early Indian wall paintings, is completely missing.

Vishnudharmottara Purana

• The Vishnudharmottara Purana’s chapters 35-43 describe the many branches, techniques, and goals of Indian painting
• It addresses not just its religious side, but also, and perhaps more importantly, its secular occupation
• It proclaims the delight that colours and shapes, as well as representations of things seen and imagined are produced
• It goes over the various aspects of painting, including rupabheda (appearance), pramana (measurements, proportion, and structure), bhava (expressions), lavanya yojana (aesthetic composition), sadrishya (resemblance), and varnika bhanga (brush and colour use)

Manuscript Illustrations

• Manuscript pictures were organised into subject sets, each of which included a number of loose paintings or folios
• The text is inscribed on each folio of artwork, either in the designated space on the upper portion of the image or on the backside
• The colophon page was the most important folio in the collection
• Ramayana paintings, Gita Govinda, and Ragamala are some examples

Western Indian School of Painting

• This painting practice flourished primarily in India’s western regions
• Western Indian painting, often known as Jaina painting, is a very conservative form of Indian miniature painting dedicated mostly to the representation of Jaina religious writings from the 12th–16th centuries
• By the end of the 13th century, the style had become pretty well established, and it altered little during the following 250 years
• Gujarat, Rajasthan’s southern regions, and Central India’s western regions are the main centres
• Patrons: The Jain community, mostly representatives of the merchant sector, were the major patrons

Features of Early Jain Paintings

• Prior to the introduction of paper in the fourteenth century, Jain artworks were typically done on palm leaves
• The most creative period for Jain art appears to have lasted nearly a hundred years, from around 1350 to 1450
• These works established a reduced and schematic painting language, frequently separating the space into parts to suit various situations
• These paintings have vibrant colours and a keen interest in depicting textile patterns
• Only a few colours, including yellow, green, blue, black, and red, are used
• These paintings were beautifully decorated, with a lot of gold and lapis lazuli, signifying the sponsors’ wealth and social rank
• The Tirthankaras, or saviours, are common motifs in Jain art and sculpture, as are the yakshas and yakshinis, or supernatural guardian deities, and symbols such as the lotus and the swastika, which symbolise peace and well-being
• The concept of shaastradaan (book donation) developed popularity within the society, which gave rise to these artworks

Important Painted Texts of Jainism

These were a few important texts of Jainism:

• Tirthipatas, Mandalas,Uttaradhyayana Sutra, Sangrahani Sutra, Kala Acharya Katha, Kalpasutra

Kalpasutra

 It is a significant text in the Jain Tradition’s canon.

• It includes a portion of the 24 Tirthankaras’ life, from their births through their salvation especially notable are Parshvanatha and Mahavira
• Traditionally attributed to Bhadrabahu, which would date in the 4th century BCE, it was most likely written 980 or 993 years after Mahavira’s Nirvana (Moksha)
• It depicts five major events: conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment, and the first preaching

Uttaradhyayana Sutra 

It comprises Mahavir’s teachings, which establish a code of conduct for monks to follow.  The tales of Kapila, Nemi, Mrugaputra, Sanjaya, Rathnemi, Jaya-Vjayghosha, and others in the Uttaradhyayana Sutra teach us various aspects of monastic life. They believe that a good or austere life is a result of earlier good karma. One must always think and behave positively. It also teaches us that occupations should not be considered a birthright. They are determined by your training and activities.

Sangrahani Sutra

It is a twelfth-century cosmological treatise that contains thoughts regarding the construction of the universe and spatial mapping. Shrichandra’s composition dates back to 1136, and involves Jain notions about the construction of the cosmos and the mapping of space. The eighteenth-century text contains pictures and cosmological schematics.

Conclusion

We have looked into the manuscript painting traditions of western India. We also highlighted the important book that contributed to the development of painting in India like  Vishnudharmottara Purana.